Jackson Center To Create Award For Teaching Justice

July 12, 2013

The Robert H. Jackson Center and the National Council for the Social Studies are partnering to create the Robert H. Jackson Center Award for Teaching Justice.

The award was created to honor an educator who teaches the concept of justice in creative, inspiring ways, which may include teaching about civil liberties, human rights, international humanitarian law, the Holocaust, genocide studies or local issues of justice.

Nominations are now being accepted. Nomination guidelines and criteria are available by visiting the center's website at www.roberthjackson.org and clicking on the link that is featured on the home page. Nominations may be submitted by sending the requested materials to the Robert H. Jackson Center, 305 E. Fourth St., Jamestown, NY 14701 or via email to info@roberthjackson.org. Nominations are due Aug. 9.

Born in rural northwestern Pennsylvania, Robert H. Jackson was a country lawyer in Jamestown who subsequently served as Solicitor General, Attorney General and as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Following World War II, Justice Jackson was selected by President Harry Truman to be the Chief U.S. Prosecutor at the International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, where he personally lead the trials against the senior Nazi leadership for crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. His work at Nuremberg served as a model for today's International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague, Africa and elsewhere. His writings and actions have come to personify the American ideal of fairness and justice for all.

The Robert H. Jackson Center was established to honor and advance Justice Jackson's legacy, pursue the relevance of his life's work and to provide an educational facility for those purposes. The center's programs place special emphasis on educating youth on issues of justice and fairness and applying Jackson's work in international humanitarian law as it relates to bringing to trial those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and other serious violations of international law. More information about the center can be found at www.roberthjackson.org.